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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · club · face · rest · fall · ball · field · roll

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. face — to confront
  7. fall — the season
  8. field — farmland
  9. fall — to drop
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. field — a subject
  19. rest — what's left
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ball — a dance
  22. field — for sport
  23. rest — a break
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com